Well anchor



July* 31, 1945. D. MowREY WELL ANCHOR 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed March ll, 1945 llllllllllll I l l I I Il lllll..

IN VENTOR,

5.9727? D Mon/Fey,

f '4.'. ATTORNEY.

Patented July 31, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL ANCHOR Lester D. Mowrey. Wichita Falls, Tex.

Application March 11, 1943, Serial No. 478,777

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in anchors, and more particularly to anchors for positioning and holding bottom hole regulators or chokes and the like in place in the tubing of oil and gas wells.

Various attempts have been made to hold bottom hole regulators in place, but most of these mechanismsdo not function under all service conditions, and therefore, much trouble is encountered in placing and removing them.

Various types of slips have been proposed for engaging the tubing. but they have been ineffective generally in gripping the side walls of the tubing, and, when once engaged with the side walls of said tubing. are often dilcult, if not impossible to remove, without pulling the tubing, a process which is not only time consuming, but which causes considerable loss of oil and sas.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an anchor that is simple to install. positive in operation, and which may be removed readily.

This anchor, taken in conjunction with the setting tool and the tool for removing the same, comprise an inter-related system which permits the anchor to be set in any desired place within the well tubing, to be held there as long as desired and to be removed therefrom without the necessity of pulling the well tubing. as has been necessary generally with anchors heretofore in use.

The preferred embodiment o! this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a well, with parts shown in elevation and showing the anchor in place;

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the anchor and tool;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section. o! the anchor with the setting tool in place thereon;

Fig. 4 is a cross section through a removing tool on the anchor:

Fig`. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the removing tool in place on the anchor.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view vof the anchor shown installed within the tubing;

Fig. 'I is a cross section therethrough on the line 1 1, oi' Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a similar view on the line 8-8 oi' Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 is a similar view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 6.

' With more detailed reference to the drawings, the numeral I designates the lower portion of the casing of an oil well or the like, in which is placed the usual tubing 2. The tubing 2 is made in sections secured together by couplings 3. The numeral 4 `designates. generally the anchor which is shown to be anchored intermediate the ends of tubing sections 2 and within the coupling 3. A bottom hole regulator Bis shown suspended within the tubing beneath the anchor 4, which device regulates the flow of oil therethrough. A perforated pipe 6 is shown at the bottom of the tubing 2. A setting tool 'i is shown suspended through the tubing by a cable 8, above the anchor 3.

I'he anchor 3 comprises a tapered neck 9 and a hollow tubular body I0, the sald'body having a slotted portion II in which is disposed a pair of latch members I2 which are pivoted to the neck 9 at I3. Each latch member I2 ls enlarged and has an off-set portion as shown at I4. At the lower end of the latch members I2 are lateral projections I li which are pressed outward by aninterposed spring'l to engage a recess Il formed between the ends of tubing sections 2. The latch members I2 also carry inwardly protruding bosses IB which hold the ends of the spring I8 ln alignment. Recesses I9 are provided in opposite sides of the body I0 to accommodate the ends of the spring Il and permit the spring IB to push the latch members I2 outward the maximum distance. A plate 2li is secured in the body portion I0 beneath the.spring I8 to prevent the spring I8 from dropping downward, should it become dislocated from its set position. The plate 20 also closes the tubular body beneath the latches. The plate 20 is held in place by screws 2|.

Holes 22 are provided in the body ci' the anchor and lead from the inner bore 23 thereof to the annular space 24 between the anchor and the tubing 2, so as to permit the oil which flows upward through the regulator I to pass outward through the holes 22 andupward through tubing 2. Threads are provided at 2B, which may be of any suitable regulator l, to the lower end oi' the anchor 4.

The anchor 4 is set in place by the setting tool l (Fig. 3) which has a tapered bore 2| that conforms substantially to the taper o! the neck l. The tool is slit at 21, forming reculent iin-y design, for connecting the pletely depresses the latch members, as shownin Fis'. 3.

'I'he removing tool. designated generally as 2i. and shown in Fig. 5, is provided for the `removal oi' the anchor` from the tubing and comprises a body 22 having a bore 23 to receive therein the neck 9. The bore 2l is enlarged near the lower y end so as to form an annular shoulder 24 with the inner bore 25 substantially of the same diamf eter as the neck 2 at that point. 'Ihis tool 3iv will depress the projections l5 within the body III of the anchor and yet let the ori-sets -I4 of the latches I2 project suillciently to rest upon the annular shoulder 24 to permit the anchor to be removed from the well. The lower end oi the body 22 of the removing `tool is tapered downwardly and outwardly so as to gu'ide the neck B into the removing tool. The removing tool 2i is shown in place onvthef anchor inLFig. 5. Y I'he bottom hole choke or regulator B may be attached to the anchor 4 by the threads 25. The anchor and regulator may be lowered through the tubing 2 by the setting tool 'I which is pressed downward on neck 9 of the 4anchor 4 untlfthe oil-sets I4 of the latch members I2 are depressed as shown in Fig. 3. This will depress. in turn. projections Il into the body ID of the anchor.,

The setting tool 'I is attached to cable l for lowering the tool into the well to al point near the desired depth at which point the setting tool 1 may be released from the anchor 4 by a jerk on the cable l. The weight of the anchor normally will cause the regulator to move further downward until the projections It engage' the annular recess I1 between the ends oi' two joints of tubing 2. 'Ihe spring Il will force the projections Il outward into this recess preventing further descent. The projections Il also prevent upward movement of the choke B when gas pressure below the packing members increases suiliciently otherwise to tend to. lift the anchor and regulator. Therefore, the anchor positively holds the regulator in place until its removal is desired.

The upward now of the oil causes it to pass through the regulator into the lower end of the bore 2l and outward through the radial holes 22 into the\annular space 24, thence upward through f "t'ubli'ig` linfthe usual manner.

To remove the anchor 4 from the tubing 2, the removing tool Il is attached to the cable 8 and dropped downward over the neck I with suillcient force to cause the latch members I2 to spring inward and permit the annular shoulder 24 in the tool to pass beneath the oil-sets I4 on the latch members. which latch members will be forced outward suiiiciently by the spring I4 to retain the anchor in the tool. Then the anchor and regulatormay be lifted upward through the tubing bylraising the removing tool. At the particular position shown In Fig. 5, the latch members i2 are depressed so that the projections Il are substantially flush with the body I0 to prevent them from engaging pipe couplings while being removed from the well.

aandoen l. In an anchor of the character described, a body having an upstanding neck portion thereon, said body having a depending tubular portion with means ior attachment with an object in a v well to support said object therein, latch members extending downwardly within the body vand having their upper ends pivoted to the body for outward swinging movement relative thereto. means tending to force the latch members outwardly to supporting positions, each of said latch members having an outwardly extending projectionthereon in position to engage an abutment in the well to support said anchor. and oil-set shoulder portions on the latch members in position for engagement y a supporting tool.

2. In an anchor oi' thefcharacter described, a body having an upstanding neck portion thereon, said body having a depending tubular portion with means for attachment with an object in a well to support said object therein, latch members extending downwardly within the body and having their upper ends pivoted to the body for outward swinging movement relative thereto. each of said latch members having. an outwardly extending projection thereon in position to engage an abutment in the well to support said anchor, resilient means tending to force the latch members outwardly to ,supportingpositiona and oil-set shoulder portions on the latch members above the projections in position for engagement by a supporting tool.

3. In an anchor of the character described. a.

body having an upstanding neck portion thereon. said body having a depending tubular-portion withmeans for attachment with an object in a well to support said object therein, said body having peripheral slots therein, upwardly extending latch members having their upper ends pivotally mounted in said slots and their depending ends having outwardly extending projections thereon in position to engage an abutment in the well to support said anchor. resilient means tending to force said projections outwardlyv to supporting positions, and oil-sets on the latch members externally of the body and above the projections in position for engagement by a supporting tool.

4. In an anchor of the character described, a body having an upstanding neck portion thereon, said body having aldepending tubular portion withvxneans for attachment with an object in a well to support said object therein, said body having peripheral slots therein, upwardly extending latch members having their upper ends pivotally mounted in said slots and their depending ends having outwardly. extending projections thereon in position-to engage an abutment in the well to support said anchor. resilient means tend- -ing to force said projections outwardly to supporting positions. o-sets on the latch members externally of the body and above the projections. and a tubular supporting tool embracing said neck portion and latch members and supporting the anchor.

5. In an anchor oi' the character described, a body having an upstanding neck portion adapted to be connected with an object in a well, elongated latch members extending lengthwise relative to the body and having outwardly extending projections on the lower end portions thereof in position to engage an abutment in the well to support the anchor. means pivotally connecting the upper end portion of each latch member with the body tor lateral swinging movement relative thereto, means tending to torce the latch members outwardly to supporting positions, and means forming shoulders on the intermediate portions of the latch members at the periphery of the body in position for supporting engagement by a tool.

6. In an anchor of the character described, a body having an upstanding neck portion thereon with a depending tubular portion having means for attachment with an object in a well to support said object therein, said body having a transverse opening therein above the tubular portion, a plurality of latch members extending lengthwise of the body in said transverse opening and disposed substantially at the periphery of the body, said latch members having outwardly extending projections on the lower ends thereof in position to engage an abutment in the well to A support said anchor, means pivoting the`upper ends of said latch members to the body within the opening, spring means tending to force the latch members outwardly to supporting positions, said latch members having off-set shoulders on the outer sides thereof externally of the body intermediate the pivots and the projections in position for engagement by a supporting tool.

'7.' In an anchor of the character described, a

' for attachment with an object in a well to support said object therein, said body having a transverse opening therein above the tubular portion, a plurality of latch members extending lengthwise of the body in said transverse opening and disposed substantially at the periphery of the body, said latch members having outwardly extending projections on the lower ends thereof in position to ergage an abutment in the well to support said anchor, means pivoting the upper ends of said latch members to the body within the opening, said latch members having olf-set shoulders on the outer sides thereof externally of the body intermediate the pivots and the projections in position for engagement by a supporting tool, said latch members being disposed on opposite sides of the body, and a coiled spring interposed between the opposite latch members substantially'in radial alignment with the projections at the lower ends thereof tending to force said projections outwardly to supporting positions.

LESTER D. MOWREY. 

